Dogs’ names say a lot about trends, owners

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The Boston Globe has gathered dog license data from several towns to present the most popular breeds and names across Massachusetts. However, the database and map is incomplete. We've sorted through more than 50,000 pet registration details from 13 towns, but that's only a fraction of the way to making this a complete picture of dogs across the state.

That's why we encourage readers to ask their respective towns to help fill in the blanks by filing Freedom of Information Act requests. The law provides public access to government documents and to copies of records. The filings will be done through our partner in this venture, Muckrock.com. As the requests are answered, the Globe will update this page with the new details.

Click on any community to learn about its dog names

Why are there data for only 13 towns?

The Globe is looking for your help.

We are seeking people interested in filing Freedom of Information Act requests with their local municipality. In this instance, we want people in Greater Boston communities who will file FOIAs with their local city or town for obtaining dog license information that shows dog names and breeds.

The filings will be done through our partner in this venture, Muckrock.com, a service which helps people file public records requests.

Through Muckrock, filing a FOIA with a local city or town clerk for dog names and breeds is a simple process.

As the requests are answered, the Globe will publish charts showing the most popular names and breeds for each town.